- Apple is experiencing delays in the delivery of the MacBook Neo
- Orders from Apple’s online store are not expected to ship until mid-April
- This demand is attributed to first-time Mac owners, making it the biggest Mac launch for Apple
Haven’t ordered your new MacBook Neo yet? Well, I would advise you to score Apple’s budget laptop sooner rather than later as it is experiencing shipping delays everywhere.
After its launch on March 11, the MacBook Neo has proven to be one of Apple’s most popular products in recent years, but it seems the tech giant hasn’t been able to keep up with the skyrocketing demand that has come with it. As a result, shipping delays are increasing, and now you may not be able to get your hands on a MacBook Neo until mid-April at the earliest.
According to 9to5Mac, all configurations of the MacBook Neo are sold out in the US and will only ship between April 6 and April 13 when you order from Apple’s online store, pushing the shipping dates back a good two to three weeks.
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Apple’s UK online store shows similar dates, with most models due to ship between April 9 and April 16. Based on which iteration of Neo you choose, you could be looking between April 16th and April 23rd for your device to ship – this is mainly for the MacBook Neo with the Blush finish and applies to both the 2156GB and 212GB models. Ordering from your local Apple store may not be the best idea either, as in-store pickup dates are also being pushed back.
It’s not ideal to wait until next month to get hold of what will undoubtedly be one of the best budget laptops, but a few weeks back we predicted that Apple would sell these by the boatload, and voilà. But despite the frustrating delays, it does reveal something monumental for Apple as a company, and it’s all thanks to first-time Mac customers.
For the first time, a MacBook launch has heralded a demand that you only really see with the release of a new iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook has hailed it as the ‘best launch week ever’ for Macs, driven by first-time MacBook owners. This can be attributed to the MacBook Neo’s affordability, giving users who have wanted to convert to Mac a better entry point but could never justify the high price tag. But Neo has also done a great job of attracting casual users and students.
Like us, users on Reddit also anticipated the demand, with one describing the MacBook Neo as ‘such a nice notebook’, garnering plenty of responses agreeing that it will be a big hit with researchers, especially as September approaches. Not only that, but Apple’s budget laptop has given users more reasons not to choose an iPad, which costs about the same as the MacBook Neo, but requires the purchase of a separate keyboard and other accessories that are not budget-friendly.
With this in mind, picking up a MacBook Neo at your nearest Apple store might be the best option if you don’t want to wait nearly three weeks for one to arrive. Alternatively, you can try other retailers such as Amazon, which offer same-week delivery. Unfortunately, the MacBook Neo is sold out on Amazon UK, so your best shot is to head to the Apple Store right now.
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